enemy, to the regular station, guarded by walls which have, in some instances, proved triumphant over the assault of more than 133 Ratis, Leicester 134 Venromentum, Willoughby 138 Vindomis, near St. Mary Bourne 139 Venta Belgarum, Winchester. 140 Ad Lapidem, Stoneham 141 Clausentum, Bittern, near Southampton 142 Portus Magnus, Portchester 143 Regnum, Chichester 144 Ad Decimum, on the Arun 145 Anderida Portus, Pevensey 146 Ad Lemanum, on the Rother 147 Lemanianus Portus, Lymne 148 Dubræ, Dover 149 Regulbium, Reculver 150 Madus, on the Medway 151 Vagnaca, Barkfields in Southfleet 152 Noviomagus, Holwood hill K 4 153 Brige, near Broughton sixteen 154 Sorbiodunum, Old Sarum 155 Venta Geladia, Gussage Cow Down 156 Durnovaria, Dorchester 157 Moridunum, Seaton 158 Durius Amnis, on the Durt 159 Tamara, on the Tamair 160 Voluba, on the Fowey 161 Cœnia, on the Fal 162 Sylva Anderida, East Bourne 163 Ad Fines, Brougham 164 In Medio 165 Ad Abum, Winterton 166 Ad Petuariam, Brough 167 Ad Fines, Temple Brough on the Don Stations and Camps, not mentioned by Richard of Cirencester. I Sandy Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire. IV Chipping Wycombe sixteen centuries.-The remains of these places of defence are of such high antiquarian interest, and are so frequently noticed in almost almost every volume of the "Beauties of England and Wales," that it appears desirable to present a comprehensive view of the modes of constructing and occupying a fortress amongst the Romans, together with many other particulars, calculated to convey clear ideas of the character and history of Roman stations in Britain. 66 The term Station applies to such castra stativa, or fixed camps, as were used for the permanent quarters of detachments of the Roman forces. Horsley observes, that the word statio is used in Cæsar, Tacitus, and other good writers, for the duty of soldiers upon guard, or for the men that were employed in this duty. But, in the later times, it is, by a metonymy, applied to the fort, or place, where the soldiers lodged, or were on their duty." This mode of confining the meaning of the word to a fortress, instead of extending it to a town, as is usual with many writers, is approved by Mr. Reynolds (Introduction to the Itinerary of Antoninus, p. 9.) But an indistinctness in the reception of the term appears still to prevail. It is certain that, in some instances, the castrametation remained peculiarly appropriated to the troops in garrison, while a town, in the immediate neighbourhood of the fortress, was gradually formed by the buildings raised for the purposes of traffic and security. But, in many other examples, the stationary castrum itself afforded a place of residence to the trader who sought commerce and protection from the military; and thus, in itself, became a town or city.-It seems CIX Gaer, near Brecon Stations and Camps, on, and near, the walls of Antonine and Severus. CXII Cousins house CXIII Newcastle CXIV Benwel hill CXV Rutchester CXVI Halton Chesters CXVII Walwick Chesters CXXIII Burdeswold CXXV Watchcross seems probable that such intermingled circumstances of inhabitation, within the walls of a fortress, chiefly occurred in camps like Silchester, formed on the spacious, but irregular, site of a British settlement. It is well known that the Romans, in all their wars, were particularly careful, and evinced great judgment, in the choice of the site on which they encamped their troops. The skill with which they improved on the natural strength of the situation chosen on these occasions, is sufficiently evident from the security with which their armies reposed, in the interior of so many hostile countries. The Roman camps are usually divided into two classes; Castrá hyberna, and Castra estiva. The former, which were merely, in the first instance, designed for the winter quarters of the invading army, were often adopted as stationary, or garrison, posts, when the district in which they were situated became tributary. These were sometimes placed on the site of British settlements; in which case, the irregularity of form that prevailed amongst the Britons, who chiefly looked to natural advantages for the attainment of local strength, was preserved by the more scientific Romans.* But, in camps originally laid out by themselves, the figure was, almost invariably, square or oblong; sometimes having the angles obtuse, or rounded off. When a deviation occurs from this form of castrametation, the cause will be obvious, in some very peculiar circumstance of natural strength, or convenience, which is gained by the partial sacrifice of regularity. In It is observed by Mr. Whitaker (Hist. of Manchester, Vol. I. p. 44) that the fact of Roman towns being frequently placed on the site of British fortresses, "is abundantly shewn by the British names of the stations in the Roman Itineraries; near three fourths of the stations bearing British names, and thereby evincing themselves to be erected upon the sites of British fortresses. The latter were generally planted upon such ground as an intimate knowledge of the country recommended; and such, therefore, as the policy of the Romans could not but approve."-Instances of irregularity of form, obviously arising from the adoption of a British site by the Romans, may be noticed in Silchester, Kentchester, Bath, Canterbury, &c. |